Kim Valentine BSN, RN

Indeed, we can't deny that we work with reduced staff in high acuity settings in our current health care environment. These workload pressures cause us to prioritize elements of care. But should we dismiss the significance of oral care? Perhaps if we...

Great article! If only we all went back to those basics! It makes so much sense. My friend is an epidemiologist for our local Public Health with her PhD and was challenged all the time during the pandemic because others had the “real” informatio...

The percentage of adults over age 65 in the United States is now more than 16% of the population. Because this age group tends to have more comorbid and chronic conditions, they are twice as likely to be hospitalized as compared to people under the a...

When thirsty, most of us inevitably go to the tap or refrigerator for a drink of water or some other refreshing beverage. In most cases, we all take this simple task for granted. Our receptors will signal when thirsty, so we drink. Hydration can be...

Absolutely! Creative strategies are so important.

Oh my goodness Wuzzie, my heart goes out to you. I used to work in the community and this has to be one of the most difficult situations as a caregiver. It sounds like she has had several tests. Is she followed by a geriatrician as well? I'm sure N...

Thank you for your comment. That must have been such a challenging situation for you to be in! I also wonder sometimes if "ageism" plays a role? I agree validated screening tools such as the CAM are so important to be familiar with and utilize i...

Good point! I also realize critical care areas are some of the most challenging environments.

I think the CAM is useful to draw attention to the clinician that there is a delirium going on and not just assuming the patient has dementia thereby delaying treatment. But it is a screening tool and not diagnostic.

The first set to treatment is identifying the cause such as an infection, pain, constipation or abnormal lab values. Sometimes the solution is right in front of us. I know in critical care it is a challenge to alter the environment. In the hos...

I think the first key is to identify if there is a reversible source, like an infection or electrolyte imbalance, etc. I see it more than I'd like to, that older adults in a delirium are deemed as having "dementia" and little is done for them excep...

Thanks for this article with such valuable information. Certainly shift work is a challenge to having a restful sleep but you bring up some good strategies to use. I used to “need” 8 hours of sleep a night but as I age, that number seems to drop wher...

Recently a pediatric oncologist ordered 12.5mcg of durgesic on an 8 year old home care client of ours. This family is not covered for the 12.5mcg patch but is covered for the 25mcg patch. The oncologist ordered us to place half of the patch on tega...

I have recently heard that the manufacturer does not recommend the use of tegaderm whatsoever. I lothe duragesic patches anyway!

I recommend using the Biopatch along with a securment device like Statlock. The new stats on Biopatch state that PICC infections are reduced by 60%. That is a significant evidence for me to adapt my practice.

Any shoe covers that I have seen don't have any kind of traction. In my mind they would increase your chances of falls in the home. I'll continue to take a "spare pair" with me.

Actually it was explained to me that if you suddenly were in an unsafe situation in a home and had to run out quickly, you need to have shoes on. Also part of the health and safety regulations if you were to ever injure yourself (in particular your ...

We instruct our nurses to bring a change of shoes into the home. It is a health and safety regulation

I worked ICU for 15 years and left nursing when I had my last child. I was not going to go back because I was so burnt out. I stayed home for three years and then went to home care. It was an eye opening experience. This type of nursing was the ...

I have just accepted the role as clinical nurse educator for a visiting nursing agency in Ontario Canada. I will work full time between two divisions. This is a totally new chapter in my 26 years of nursing and even though I am excited for the chal...